January Lane Rope: Monthly newsletter from the Wett Ones President

Happy New Year everyone! Big things ahead for 2019 - read on below for just a few bits and bobs keeping the committee busy.

Thank you to all who have renewed their membership - we finished 2018 with 144 members and we have 107 members renewed to date, which is the best we have ever seen so early in the year. In particular, a huge Wett Ones welcome our new members for this month: Morgan Harry, Guilherme Cazaux and Nic Cheetham, and a welcome back to Danny Crowe. Thank you for joining the Wett Ones family.

In this newsletter:

Committee update

Mardi Gras Film Festival

Strategic plan

Sponsorship

Upcoming events

Committee update

We held our monthly meeting last Monday night. It was another busy meeting - we discussed our strategic plan, sponsorship and options for a new club uniform (more news soon!).

A key topic of discussion was attendance at training and managing your enthusiasm to swim. It's quite a good problem to have!

Space in the waterAs those of you who swim on Mondays and Wednesdays have no doubt noticed, numbers are very strong. We are working with both Sydney Uni and the pools in the inner CBD to identify alternative options to manage numbers. We are not always able to secure a fourth lane at Sydney Uni, so we will see whether we can get additional lanes at other pools as alternative options for swimming. Look out for a survey next week where we will share the various options and seek your feedback about the direction we should take.

Being on timeHaving said that, the coaches have reminded swimmers that evening sessions start at 6:30pm sharp. We encourage you to be at the pool ready to swim by 6:15pm. Coaches will be enforcing a 'no late start' policy for all sessions - if you are not in the water doing the warm up at the beginning of the session, the coach will not let you swim. Being late impacts your warm up, and makes it difficult for other swimmers already in the water. Please make an extra effort to be on time to assist coaches with managing numbers at the pool.

Mardi GrasPlans for Mardi Gras are progressing well - see the update below. Don’t forget we have Fair Day on Sunday 17 February at Victoria Park. It would be great to see a big group of Wett Ones on the day (and especially at our stall) encouraging participation and raising awareness of the club. If you can help with Fair Day, please let Lou or myself know.

Facebook groupFrom 1 February 2019 the Wett Ones Members Facebook group will be restricted to only paid members of the club. Our members Facebook group is an important place for our members to communicate, receive information from the club and coaches and learn about events. Non-members can continue to keep up to date with the club via our public Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Finally, best of luck to the 26 swimmers participating in this weekend’s first branch points score meet at Campbelltown.

Happy swimming,

Robert

Wett Ones is a proud presenting partner for this year’s Queer Screen Mardi Gras Film Festival.

We are excited to be presenting the Australian premier of

“Light in the Water”.

Wednesday 27 February 2019 | 6:45pm | Event Cinema, George St

Light in the Water is Lis Bartlett’s uplifting documentary telling the story of one of the first openly gay masters swim clubs, the West Hollywood Aquatic Club, or WH2O.

The founding members of WH2O fought against a prevailing climate of homophobia in sport and showed the world that being gay and an accomplished athlete are not mutually exclusive. WH2O went on to become a symbol of strength and courage for the gay community following its triumph at the first Gay Games in 1982.

Using archival footage and intimate interviews with club members, the film lovingly recounts the story of a tight-knit group of LGBTQ men and women overcoming adversity to form a family through their passion for competitive swimming. Light in the Water is an inspiring tribute to WH2O, a trailblazer in the international gay sports movement which, to this day, continues to provide shelter and strength for queer athletes.

Following the movie, join us for a dinner and drink (or two) in the city. Find out more by following our Facebook event.

Upcoming eventsMardi Gras Fair DayWett Ones will have a stall at the Sydney Mardi Gras Fair Day. If you are able to assist with planning for the day please contact Lou or Robert. We will need a few hands on deck to assist with set up and pack up, along with people on the stall encouraging people to consider giving Wett Ones a go!

Swimming carnivalsThere are two swimming meets for the month of February:

Evan will be encouraging those who are interested in competing to register. Brad has secured a house in Raymond Terrace for those interested in staying overnight on 9 February. You can book a bed/room through the Wett Ones shop. Meanwhile, there will be dinner and drinks in the city after the Merrylands meet on 22 February.

Swim and long lunch - 15 FebruaryFor those interested, we are considering a 'swim and long lunch' on Saturday 15 February. Speak to Brad if you would like to know more, and keep an eye on Facebook for details.

Women's boot campThere will be a special women's boot camp series at the end of March. We will share more details next month ahead of Fair Day. If you know any women interested in giving Wett Ones a go, speak to Susie or Janet.

SAVE THE DATE:Saturday 23 March - kayaking in the Kangaroo Valley. More details soon.Saturday 6 April - Wett Ones BPS meet (Sydney Uni Pool). Speak to Nick or Charlie if you need more information.

Wett Ones and Masters Swimming NSW memberships fall due on 31 December 2018 - for insurance reasons, if your membership is not paid after this date you will not be able to swim with us until you have renewed.